Galifi Grabs Surprise Semi-Final Slot In KL

More than nine years after last meeting on the Tour, Stephane Galifi repeated his upset over higher-ranked French compatriot Renan Lavigne in today's quarter-finals of the NSC Series No5 Squash Championships to reach the last four of the men's $20,000 PSA Tour event at the Bukit Jalil National Squash Centre in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.

The unseeded 30-year-old from Aix-en-Provence beat Lavigne, the fourth seed, 11-2, 5-11, 11-9, 11-7 in 61 minutes in the only upset in the men's event.

Galifi will now face Omar Mosaad, the No2 seed from Egypt who also triumphed over a Frenchman, beating qualifier Mathieu Castagnet 11-5, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7.

Favourite Mohd Azlan Iskandar maintained local interest in the championships when he beat fifth-seeded Indian Saurav Ghosal 11-9, 11-5, 11-9. The 26-year-old Malaysian will face Egypt's third seed Hisham Mohd Ashour, an 11-1, 11-6, 11-6 winner over local player Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan, the eighth seed.

There were two quarter-final upsets in the women's $25,000 WISPA World Tour event. England's Tania Bailey brought to an end a 13-match-winning run by Shelley Kitchen in the NSC Series in KL when she upset the fourth seed 7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-3 in 52 minutes.

The former world No4 from Lincolnshire, still fighting back to her old form after knee surgery last year, will now take on second seed Vanessa Atkinson for a place in the final. The Dutch star despatched England's Dominique Lloyd-Walter 11-6, 13-11, 11-4.

Hong Kong's Annie Au continued her upward rise on the WISPA Tour: The 20-year-old sixth seed dismissed Australia's Kasey Brown, the No3 seed, 12-10, 11-7, 11-9 and will now face Irish favourite Madeline Perry in a surprise semi-final.

Men's quarter-finals:
[1] Mohd Azlan Iskandar (MAS) bt [5] Saurav Ghosal (IND) 11-9, 11-5, 11-9 (40m)
[3] Hisham Mohd Ashour (EGY) bt [8] Mohd Nafiizwan Adnan (MAS) 11-1, 11-6, 11-6 (30m)
Stephane Galifi (FRA) bt [4] Renan Lavigne (FRA) 11-2, 5-11, 11-9, 11-7 (61m)
[2] Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt [Q] Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) 11-5, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7 (54m)

Women's quarter-finals:
[1] Madeline Perry (IRL) bt Aisling Blake (IRL) 11-4, 11-7, 11-6 (36m)
[6] Annie Au (HKG) bt [3] Kasey Brown (AUS) 12-10, 11-7, 11-9 (43m)
[5] Tania Bailey (ENG) bt [4] Shelley Kitchen (NZL) 7-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-3 (52m)
[2] Vanessa Atkinson (NED) bt [7] Dominique Lloyd-Walter (ENG) 11-6, 13-11, 11-4 (32m)